The Dragon's Mate
by Loki's Only Love
Summary: It's been 10 years since her adventure in the Spirit World and Chihiro has never forgotten the dragon that helped her. She is now having dreams of the world she longs to return too. But what do these Dreams mean and why do they depict her as a Spirit? A prophecy is about to come to pass. Rated for late lemons :)
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: DON'T OWN ANYTHING :( all recognizable characters are owned by Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli all others are owned by me. I am sorry but this story is unbeta'd so all mistakes are also mine if there is anyone who wants to volunteer for the position then PM me.

Summery: It's been 10 years since her adventure in the Spirit World and Chihiro has never forgotten the dragon that helped her. She is now having dreams of the world she longs to return too. But what do these Dreams mean and why do they depict her as a Spirit? A prophecy is about to come to pass. Rated for late lemons :)

CHCHCHCHCHCH

Prologue

Chihiro Ogino awoke from yet another strange dream. Like her previous dreams she was back in the Spirit World only not in any place she recognized. The only reason she knew it was the Spirit World in the first place was because of the humanoid figures turning into other creatures of which she recognized almost instantaneously. One of which was the man she had not been able to forget. Haku. She missed him greatly and still hung on to his promise that they would meet again and if her dream was more than a dream, as she suspected, then they would be meeting again very soon. She got out of bed and quickly dressed then left her small apartment, heading to the Spirit World Gate.

Once there she just stood there for what seemed like hours when in fact it was only a few short minutes. Suddenly a bright light engulfed her and her vision went black.

Haku walked out of the Imperial Palace infuriated. He had just found out that he was betrothed to the Lost Princess and was not taking kindly to the information for his heart belonged to another. Chihiro. He missed her more than any words could say and he would have kept his promise to her had Yubaba not managed to ensnare him for the next ten years. He had only a year ago been able to get out from underneath her rule only to find out that he was betrothed to another. His sense of honor demanded that he honor his betrothal but his heart yearned to be with the one who held his heart. He wanted to be with her forever but he knew that that was now an impossibility for she was a human, he was a spirit. Her life was so much shorter than his and the best he could hope for was a few years at best with her but he would spend the best of those years with her because he loved her always had and always would. No other would ever be able to claim his heart for it belonged solely to her.


	2. Returned Memories

DISCLAIMER: DON'T OWN ANYTHING :( all recognizable characters are owned by Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli all others are owned by me. I am sorry but this story is unbeta'd so all mistakes are also mine if there is anyone who wants to volunteer for the position then PM me.

Summery: It's been 10 years since her adventure in the Spirit World and Chihiro has never forgotten the dragon that helped her. She is now having dreams of the world she longs to return too. But what do these Dreams mean and why do they depict her as a Spirit? A prophecy is about to come to pass. Rated for late lemons :)

CHCHCHCHCHCH

Chapter 1

Chihiro awoke in a brightly colored room. She held her head for a moment before sitting up and looking around. The last thing she remembered was a bright light while she was at the entrance to the Spirit World. She slowly got out of the bed she was lying in and went to the door wondering if she was back at the Bathhouse somehow or if she was elsewhere. Once she stepped out into the corridor though she knew that she was not at the Bathhouse but somewhere vaguely familiar; though she knew that she had never been there before at least not to her knowledge. It was then that she realized that she was standing in the exact place she had been in her dream. She was even wearing the exact same thing as she had in her dream. Shaking her head she followed the corridor to what she knew was some kind of throne room. She walked in only to be greeted by the same two people or in this case spirits that were in her dreams.

"Sukura!" the stately looking woman exclaimed as she came down the steps to embrace her.  
Chihiro stood transfixed by the name. She knew that she had been called that at one point in her life though she could not for the life of her know when that was.

"Umm…" she managed to squeak out when the woman released her from the hug.

"Sukura don't you remember me?" she asked her voice laced with disappointment.

Instead of answering Chihiro shook her head in denial, though the woman seemed vaguely familiar to her.

"Sukura, I am your mother," the woman said tears evident in her voice at her daughters loss of memory.

"Ashurrine, let the girl breath," the man said from the dais. Startling both of them for a moment.

'But…" the woman started to protest.

"Dear, she has just returned and has no memory of her life before she was sent to the human world. You know this as well as I that her memories will have to be returned before she remembers anything."

The woman nodded and then turned to a stunned Chihiro. "Come we must get your memories returned as soon as possible and your Spirit Soul returned to you."

Chihiro's head was spinning. Her memories? Her Spirit Soul? What were they talking about? She had no time to protest as she was nearly dragged from the room by the woman who was followed by the man but at a far more leisurely manner.

CHCHCHCH

Haku speed back to the Bathhouse in a rage. He didn't want to marry some mysterious princess. He wanted the human girl that had given him back his name. The girl that held his heart. He flew to the topmost part of the house and landed on the balcony. Yubaba was sitting at her desk as usual and seemed to be in good spirits for once.

"Haku, what has got you go off on a rampage all of a sudden?" she asked.

"I don't care what they say, I will not marry some mystery princess whether I'm betrothed to her or not!" he returned, still miffed at the thought of marry anyone but Chihiro.

Yubaba smiled at that. "So Princess Sukura has finally been found and returned. I would think you would be honored to be selected as her mate. She is after all the gatekeeper to the Spirit World." she said still smiling.  
"Yubaba, I don't care what she is I will not be forced to marry a woman I have never met!" the young spirit said.

"Oh, but you have met her, Haku," Yubaba said a devilish gleam in her eyes. Yes, she knew who the missing princess was. She was happy that the two of them would finally be together. She knew that she had changed ever since the girl had showed up here ten years ago and mad a mess of her Bathhouse but she liked the girl.

Haku was confused. When had he met the princess and where? He searched his memories but he could not find an instant where they had met.

"You need to return to the Palace Haku. I am sure that the Princess will want to met you." she said with a smirk.

Haku turned and left the room at that. There was no way he was going to go back there to meet some stuck up princess when his heart longed to return to Chihiro. She was after all his mate. He had known since the moment they had met who she was to him and seeing as how dragons only had one mate and she was it he could not possibly wed another.

CHCHCHCHCH

Chihiro, or as the woman kept referring to her as, Sukura, was dragged to a plain looking room that had a podium in the center with a golden light that was emitting from it. When she asked what the light was the woman answered with a smile. "That my dear, is your Spirit Soul. Your memories should come back once your soul has rebounded to you."

Chihiro was shocked but was drawn to the light like a moth to the flame. She held out her hand and the light somehow sensing her presence leap over and around her, surrounding her in a warm embrace before disappearing. Chihiro closed her eyes and wondered if she should feel different and then there was a slight pain that went through her before she opened her eyes to see her parents standing before her with tears in their eyes.

**A/N: Ok I will not be updating until I get at least one review per chapter this goes for the entire story :)**


	3. Betrothed!

DISCLAIMER: DON'T OWN ANYTHING :( all recognizable characters are owned by Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli all others are owned by me. I am sorry but this story is unbeta'd so all mistakes are also mine if there is anyone who wants to volunteer for the position then PM me.

**A/N: Ok I will not be updating until I get at least 5 reviews per chapter this goes for the entire story :) I need the encouragement to continue this story.**

Chapter 2

Chihiro closed her eyes and wondered if she should feel different and then there was a slight pain that went through her before she opened her eyes to see her parents standing before her with tears in their eyes.

"Mother? Father?" Chihiro's voice quivered in shock.

"Oh, my darling daughter, you are finally home!" her mother exclaimed before engulfing her in a warm embrace.  
"It's good to be home," she said against her mothers shoulder.

"Come there is much to discuss," her father said in a brusque manner which puzzled her.

They followed him to a small library outside the throne room and each took a seat before her father began. " Sukura, I would like to say welcome home, my dear child."

"Thank you, father, it is good to be home."

"But there is something I want you to know and it is something that you might not wish to hear." he paused and held p a hand to stop her from saying anything before continuing. "You are to be married."

"WHAT!?" she cried out in shock and surprise.

"You heard me correctly. Your betrothed is a river spirit."

"But father, you can't do that! You know as well as I that a dragon has only one mate and what if he already has a mate what then? Would you force him to wed me still?" she cried out in fury. Though there was a part of her that wondered who this spirit was.

"Do you not wish to know the name of the spirit you are betrothed too?" he asked a small grin appearing on his face. For he knew very well that her claim was a valid one but he also knew that the two of them were meant to be together.

"You are still going to force this on me are you not?"

"You have no choice in the matter it has already been arranged. But since you will not ask who it is you are betrothed too I shall tell you…"

However before he could say anything Chihiro/Sukura changed into her dragon form. A form she had not been in for years but had managed to change into effortlessly. She gave a loud roar and then flew out the closest window.

"I told you not to spring it on her like this," Ashurrine told her husband as she watched her daughter fly out the window.

"I know, but had she stayed she would have found out just who it is she is to be mated with," he returned as he too watched his daughter fly off in the direction of the bathhouse where her one true love was waiting.

CHCHCHCHCH

Chihiro flew out the window her mind in turmoil. She was back in the Spirit World after years of trying to get back. Her memories of her time in the human world were meshing with her life as a spirit. She was the Gatekeeper of the Spirit World. That would explain why she had managed to get here as a child of ten all those years ago but it did nothing to explain how she had not been able to return until now. She was twenty years old now, at least in human years. In spirit years she was hundreds of years older. She tried to calm her mind as she found herself flying towards a familiar part of the Spirit World. She nearly fell from the sky when she saw the Bath house in the distance.

CHCHCHCHCH

Yubaba called Haku into her office. "You called?" he asked irritated.

"Haku, you really should go back to the Imperial Palace. It is wrong to leave your betrothed waiting."

"I have already told you that I will not be forced to marry someone I have never met! Even if you say I have met her before I sure don't remember the event and therefore will not comply!"

Yubaba smiled when she sensed a presence coming towards the Bathhouse at incredible speed. "Well, then I suppose you should be the one to greet her then," she said with a smirk.

'What so you mean by that?" he asked perplexed.

"She is almost here," Yubaba replied watching the young dragon before begin to panic.

But before he could do anything she smiled and said, "Too late she has arrived. I do believe it would be rude not to greet our guest. Come."

Haku could do nothing more than follow her out to the bridge that led to the bathhouse. Yet, what greeted him there was not anything he expected. A golden dragon with a silver mane stood before the Bathhouse looking at it in something akin to happiness in its honey colored eyes.

"Haku, may I present the Princess Sukura the Gatekeeper of the Spirit World but also know to us as Sen." Yubaba almost cackled in glee when she glanced between the two dragons who were staring at each other.

"What?!" Haku managed to get out just as Chihiro changed back into her human form.


	4. Revelations

DISCLAIMER: DON'T OWN ANYTHING :( all recognizable characters are owned by Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli all others are owned by me. I am sorry but this story is unbeta'd so all mistakes are also mine if there is anyone who wants to volunteer for the position then PM me.

**A/N: Ok I will not be updating until I get at least 5 reviews per chapter this goes for the entire story :) I need the encouragement to continue this story.**

Chapter 3

"Hello Haku," Chihiro said softly as she looked at the spirit she had fallen in love with many years before.

"How?" was all he could manage to get out.

"It's a long story, Kohaku but I do have some bad news too. Apparently I have been betrothed in my absence, to a river spirit I have never met and …" she was stopped by Haku pulling her into his embrace.

"Chihiro, did they say who this river spirit was?" he asked wanting to know if that was why she had shown up at the Bathhouse.

"They tried to tell me but I was so angry at them for betrothing me to him that I left before they gave his name. Why do you ask?"

"Because the spirit you have been betrothed to is me," he answered with a grin.

"But Haku…Dragons….." she was stopped by his hand against her lips.

"Yes, I know that we only have one mate, Chihiro. Do not worry about it. I am happy about the betrothal." Though he would never say that he had not been happy about it until it was revealed that it was she he was engaged too in the first place.

"But….If you have a mate Haku I can't allow you to go through with this. It would not be fair to your future mate."

"Chihiro…." he stopped not exactly sure how to tell her that she was his mate.

"May I stay here tonight?" she turned and asked Yubaba.

"Of course, your highness, I would be delighted to have you stay the night."

With that they all made their way into the Bathhouse where Chihiro was greeted joyously by all her old friends.

CHCHCHCHCHCH

Haku walked her to her room and left her there wondering how he was going to go about telling her that he was her mate. He knew that only the males of his race could sense their mates and that the females simply complied with the mating but he wanted more from his mate than that. He wanted her love. He already loved her dearly but he could not claim her as his until he knew for sure that she loved him in return.

CHCHCHCHCH

Chihiro laid in her bed wondering why he had walked away from her. She thought for a moment he was going to say something but then he just turned and walked away. It had come as a shock to find out that she was engaged to him but she could not for the life of her feel sorry about it. Yes, he may have a mate already but she could not help wanting him for herself. She loved him. She had since she had been a ten year old human girl lost in the Spirit World. He had been her rescuer and so much more. She had never forgotten him in the ten years she had been parted from him and in that ten year period he had grown even more handsome than he had been as a twelve year old spirit boy. She could not deny how he made her heart quiver in desire.

Realizing that she was not going to get any sleep, she left her room and went in search of her dragon. She walked up the stairs towards Yubaba's section of the Bathhouse in hopes that she could find him. Taking a left when she left the elevator instead of the right she would have taken to take her to Yubaba's office she came to a single door at the end of an almost endless hallway. Taking a look around she took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

Haku heard the knock and growled under his breath. He was in no mood to deal with the female bath house spirits. He stormed to the door and threw it open. What he found on the other side was not what or whom he was expecting. "Chihiro! What are you doing here?" he asked pulling her into his room and shutting the door behind her.

"I couldn't sleep," she answered honestly.

"Why could you not sleep was your room not to your liking, your highness?"

"No the room was quite comfortable, thank you but I could not stop thinking about…." she stopped with a blush.

"About…?" he questioned. Probing her for an answer.

She blushed a deeper crimson not able to answer his questioning probe.

"Chihiro, you can tell me," he whispered.

"It's just I have this feeling like you are not telling me something important Haku."

He blanched inwardly at her words for he was keeping something from her but he just didn't know how to tell her.

"What is it you think I am hiding from you?" he asked.

"Well, the fact that you don't mind being forced to marry me when you know that a dragon only has one mate, for one," she answered.

"Oh, is that what has you worried?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered.

"Chihiro, I do not know exactly how to tell you this other than to just come right out and say it,"

"Say what?"

"You are my mate."


End file.
